Which Size Bar?
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I'm not going to be dropping trees ever as I have no land. Instead, I'll likely be cutting up logs that are delivered by tree services. This will range from oak, maple, and other hardwoods they bring me. The price will be determined by what I get obviously.
Then for sure you do not need a big saw. That 290 should do the trick nicely as will a 16" bar.
The outer Me will Have to agree with Dennis , the 290 will serve You well . But ......the inner Me says Pro grade saw . Ms 261 ,Ms 362 ,or if You really want to go for it 562 XP /20" techlite bar
But seriously , I believe Dennis Has it pegged as to what's most practical .
The outer Me will Have to agree with Dennis , the 290 will serve You well . But ......the inner Me says Pro grade saw . Ms 261 ,Ms 362 ,or if You really want to go for it 562 XP /20" techlite bar
But seriously , I believe Dennis Has it pegged as to what's most practical .
I'm not a poor man, but I have to balance my wants and needs. I think it makes sense to get a 290 with a 16" bar for now. Maybe in a few years, I'll eat my own words, sell the 290 for 70% of list price and upgrade. If I get things lined up as I would like them to be, I will have tree guys bringing me logs and then just cut them into rounds of about 12 inches length to allow for easy splitting, and split about 3 to 4 cords a year by hand. I have no desire to buy a log splitter. I might just set my knotty uglies aside and then every once a while, rent or borrow a splitter and do 'em all at once. Shorter splits are nice because shorter rounds are way easier to split. Once the rounds get longer, depending on the wood, I have alot of trouble sometimes splitting by hand.
I know that logs don't season till split, but if they aren't on the ground, they shouldn't necessarily rot either. The location of my wood is not residential, so I don't want too much seasoned c/s/s wood laying around for thieves. Not many people are going to scavenge 200 pound logs.
Ok Ok Ok..... go for the 290 and keep it spotless and maintained. If you do, you're right, you'll get 70%+ resale value if you want to move up to the 362.
or
Since your not going to buy a splitter, splurge on a 261/362 now.
or
Since your not going to buy a splitter, splurge on a 261/362 now.
man, this has to be a first
he says money is no issue
i would go fr the 460 and up it tto an 18 in bar
he says money is no issue
i would go fr the 460 and up it tto an 18 in bar
Ok Ok Ok..... go for the 290 and keep it spotless and maintained. If you do, you're right, you'll get 70%+ resale value if you want to move up to the 362.
or
Since your not going to buy a splitter, splurge on a 261/362 now.
LOL! I think I might just save that money for a rainy day or the next project I get into.
Ok Ok Ok..... go for the 290 and keep it spotless and maintained. If you do, you're right, you'll get 70%+ resale value if you want to move up to the 362.
or
Since your not going to buy a splitter, splurge on a 261/362 now.
Just make sure the bar says "Farm Boss" on it when you go to sell it. Those two words make a some people a little crazy when it comes time to buy a saw.
BTW: What happened to the OP that didn't want to compromise or "ever be tempted to upgrade"?
man, this has to be a first
he says money is no issue
i would go fr the 460 and up it tto an 18 in bar
Make it the 461, initial reviews are it is stronger out of the box with better gas mileage!
880 21 inch bar little sneaky pete Nos system!
As an update, I made my decision and purchased a 290 with a 16 inch bar. I bought a 6 pack of synthetic oil to get the factory 2 year warranty. I bought a large bottle of chain oil also to make sure I have that covered. All told it was $427 with tax. I looked at the 261 and 362 and obtained the Stihl dealer's opinion in addition to the advice that many shared with me on Hearth.com
For me the economics made sense, and I still believe I got a great saw, but if an upgrade is ever desired, I should get quite a bit of the money back on ebay.
My little corporation purchased the saw as a business write-off as I heat my office and my wood is purchased by my office and stored here. That knocks off about 30% in tax savings, which is a plus.
Thanks again for helping guide me and even though I did not buy a pro saw as many recommended I do, I definately considered the collective wisdom of those who have been down this path before. The 16 inch bar was based on a recommendation, and I don't think I'll need much more than that with the cutting that I will do given I don't take down trees.
Yep yep! I cut with the 029 (Pretty much the same saw) for 10 years. Gave it to my high school and they still re-build it every year. I worn it out. But, I was heating with it and running a landscape company.
Congratulations on your new saw ! Youre going to really enjoy running it .
I did not wade through all three pages here, but I was happy with a 20" .325 full chisel chain on my 029 for many years until a tried a friend's 036.
What 461? Damn it, I can't afford that right now! Don't get me goin'........
What 461? Damn it, I can't afford that right now! Don't get me goin'........
I got a little baby girl that is going to cost me a gazillion dollars to raise. I have high hopes for this one. That means, daddy is going to need a few bucks in the bank. I can't be spending her college money on a fancy saw. LOL
I have a 16 inch bar on my MS 390. The 390 could certainly run a 20 incher much better than a 290 but I still like the 16 incher. It handles everything I need to cut around here, which is virtually all oak ( a wee bit of hickory) and up to 24 -28 inches diameter. The sixteen inch cuts like butter with a sharp chain on my 390 with muffler mod.
A 16 or 18" bar on a good fit for a 290.
If you go to a 20 " , a 60cc saw is recommended if running a full chisel chain.
I listened to some smart people and they said go 16", so that's what I did. I won't need more than that.
That's a very good choice for that saw . But, I have to say that I made a statement very similar to your last sentence years ago . Seems like I was wrong on that !
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That's a very good choice for that saw . But, I have to say that I made a statement very similar to your last sentence years ago . Seems like I was wrong on that !
True that!
Indeed it is ! I can remember a time when I was running a craftsman saw and totally happy . Even bought a bigger one .... Was happier ! Then I bought the 044 ...... That saw has cost me a lot of money !True that!
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